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ELECTION ROUNDUP

More than 125,000 Butler County residents cast votes in Tuesday's primary and special elections, according to Butler County Board of Elections figures. The Butler Eagle covered 22 races countywide, including two special elections for state House and Senate races as well as county races for a number of offices, including council, supervisors and school boards. Below find a rundown of some of the county's contested races.

Residents chose a challenger and an incumbent in Tuesday's race for two seats on the township board of supervisors.Butler County Bureau of Election results showed challenger Clay Morrow and incumbent Russ Ford winning the primary race with 908 and 718 votes, respectively. Challenger Frank Haustovich was only 25 votes behind Ford with 694 votes.All candidates filed as Republicans, and there was no Democratic candidate listed.With a nearly 200-vote lead, Morrow said he is pleased with the result and grateful for the community's support.“Relieved and pleased and ready to get to work,” he said. “I hope to acclimate myself with the current board and employees of the township and continue to move forward in a positive direction.”

In Center Township, incumbent supervisors Robert Sloan and Alan Smallwood were challenged by Don Pringle for a pair of GOP nominations. The position is held for six years.In Tuesday's primary, Sloan received 606 votes or 32.69 percent of the vote. Smallwood received 636 votes or 34.30 percent. Pringle received 602 votes or 32.47 percent.Sloan said that with his numbers so close to Pringle's, he wouldn't call the election a victory just yet. He noted that Smallwood's comfortable lead assured his re-election.“We'll just have to wait and see,” Sloan said.There are 10 write-ins, or .54 percent of the vote. Depending on those write-ins, the final results of the top two might change.Earlier Tuesday, Smallwood said that he was originally inspired to run in 2014 to help the township use its finances more efficiently.“I've seen what was going on in the township and I figured I had better ways to spend the township money. Taxes haven't been raised. We've updated our equipment. Paving program has been going well,” Smallwood said. “We've gotten more done than we ever have.”

Connoquenessing Township Supervisor Ray Kroll Sr. ran for re-election against Ricky Kradel and Mark Scott for the GOP nomination. There were no Democratic contenders. The position is held for six years.In Tuesday night's unofficial count, Kroll received 197 votes or 35.88 percent of the vote. Kradel gained 277 votes or 50.46 percent. Scott received 74 votes or 13.48 percent of the vote.

Dave Hazlet could make his way back to the township's board of supervisors.Hazlet received 92 votes, or about 41 percent, which was the highest of the three candidates in the Republican primary election.Hazlet served 18 years as supervisor before being unseated by the current board chairwoman, Kandi Nassy, in the last election.Thomas Manuel received 63 votes, or about 28 percent, while Timothy Vogel got 70 votes, or about 31 percent. Neither will continue to the November election.Without an official Democratic candidate, Hazlet runs unopposed for the seat, a six-year term, in November.

The board of supervisors will welcome a new member this year after voters elected challenger Tim Zinkham over incumbent Dennis Kerr in the Republican primary.Zinkham beat Kerr 320-118, according to returns. He faces no Democratic challenger in the fall.Zinkham will serve a six-year term on the board of supervisors. Kerr had served as a supervisor for more than 35 years.“I really appreciate the turnout and support,” Zinkham said. “I'm a strong believer in the community, and I'm pleased the community showed.”

For the Connoquenessing constable race, Mark M. Scott received 241 votes or 46.80 percent of the vote, while Justin E. Kepple received 272 votes or 52.82 percent of the vote.In Cranberry Township, Paul Christmann outgained Daniel Page to claim the township constable position. Christmann earned 558 votes to Page's 507.

The Prospect Borough Council's GOP race for four four-year terms brought the highest number of votes for the three incumbents, according to unofficial vote counts from the county. The three incumbents were all running for re-election with a fourth candidate, Edward Robinson, also running. The unofficial vote counts for the three incumbents are as follows: Gustave G. Gunther gained 95 votes, or 27.14 percent of the vote; Eric Hilliard received 96 votes or 27.43 percent of the vote; and William Paul Katz collected 89 votes, or 25 percent of the vote. The newcomer, Edward Robinson, gained 48 votes, or 14 percent of the vote. It is unknown for whom the race's 22 write-ins voted.

Change is coming to the borough council after Tuesday's primary saw three newcomers and an incumbent nominated for this fall's election.John Reed, William Brandl and Lorena Williams were nominated to be the Republican candidates with 33, 31 and 26 votes, respectively. Venus Hubbard is the Democratic nominee. These four will go on to vie for three seats on the borough council in November. Council seats are for four years and will begin in January. Incumbent Brandl said he wants to do what he can to help the borough.“I continue to do what I can for the borough,” he said. “Our main concern right now is with the storm sewers. They've been in there since 1920.”The race displayed a renewed interest from residents in serving in the borough government. Officials had expressed concern that filling seats on council was becoming difficult.

Three incumbent Republicans will make the ballot in the borough council race this fall.Marietta Reeb received 208 votes, while Mary Hess earned 191 and Ralph Geiss received 185, earning them a spot on the November ballot.Challenger Charles Underwood received 155 votes.

Six candidates will seek five open seats on the Freeport School Board this fall.Incumbents Michael Huth, Frank Prazenica Jr. and Melanie Bollinger will be joined by Adam Toncini, Greg Selinger and Ron Kobelenske on the general election ballot. All candidates but Selinger cross-filed for Tuesday's election. A political newcomer, he said he was happy to see he finished in second place on the Republican ballot.“It looks like people are looking for some new faces on the board,” he said.Toncini, also a newcomer, said Freeport is a great school district, but echoed Selinger in saying new faces may be desired on the board.“There's never anything wrong with some fresh eyes and new blood on the board,” he said.

Seven candidates who cross filed on both party ballots ran for party nominations in Tuesday's primary to fill five seats on the Karns City School Board.The school district is in parts of Butler, Armstrong and Clarion counties, but results from Clarion County were not available Tuesday night.In Butler County, the Republican ballot was led by Matt Bishop's 426 votes followed by Bryan Fleeger with 422, Joshua Price with 398, James Friters with 354 and Dennis Kelly with 350, according to unofficial results.The Democratic ballot was led by Bishop with 229 votes followed by Price with 225, Fleeger with 217, Brenda Ealey with 199 and Friters with 195, according to unofficial results.William Summerville received 301 Republican votes and 156 Democratic votes. Ealey received 285 Republican votes. Kelly received 157 Democratic votes.In Armstrong County, the Republican ballot was led by Ealey with 215 votes followed by Bishop with 160, Fleeger with 144, Friters with 125 and Price with 120.The Democratic ballot was led by Ealey with 118 votes followed by Fleeger with 82, Friters with 78, Bishop with 77 and Price with 60.Summerville received 96 Republican votes and 40 democratic votes. Kelly received 95 Republican votes and 52 Democratic votes.

Eight candidates were trimmed to six in the Republican primary for the Moniteau School District Board.Tuesday's voters advanced five Republicans: Mark E. DeMatteis, 525 votes; Michael A. Baptiste, 502 votes; Jennifer E. Rottman, 469 votes; Matthew Zietz, 462 votes; and Randy Armagost, 421 votes.Democratic voters advanced DeMatteis, 268 votes; Rottman, 248 votes; Baptiste, 247 votes; Zietz, 221 votes; and Diane Hunter, 217 votes.Baptiste said he was excited to at Tuesday's results.“I'm feeling great. I can't wait to get to November,” Baptiste said. “The four new (candidates) can get together and do something fresh.”One newcomer, Matthew Zietz, said he was happy to advance.“That'll just give me another chance to get myself more out there,” Zietz said. “I went door to door. My name is not a common last name.”The five seats will be filled in the general election for four-year terms.

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